Shuyou Li, Ph.D.
FOM Networks
224-225-9168
DISCLAIMER: This comparison is merely based on my personal experience and observation. It might be biased or wrong. If you see any error in this page and it is proved to be true, I will be happy to correct the information; if you are the owner of one software listed in this page and would like not to be listed for comparison, please inform me.
Many people use online programs for scheduling of shared resources of many different types, from scientific instruments to core facilities, conference rooms, ball fields, or projectors. Depending on the resource, more or less sophistication is needed in the software. Shared scientific instruments present one of the more challenging situations for managers, particularly when billing users and creating accurate reports for administrators or funding agencies.
Below you will find a table comparing a number of online scheduling software systems. Some are free or open source. Many are targeted as online calendars for specific purposes, such as making doctor appointments, scheduling a meeting, or dating. This type of software does not offer the features required to be effective for scientific instrument scheduling.
Scheduling and management of scientific instruments has its own requirements that managers take into consideration. In use in university labs since 2002, FOM Networks, designed and programmed by shared facility managers to meet their own unmet needs, addressed all these requirements:
· Many instruments cannot accommodate double booking, while others must allow double booking (for example, clean room sharing).
· To ensure accurate record of usage, there must be a way to prevent users from using instruments without logging in the scheduler.
· There must be authorization/authentication procedure to prevent un-authorized access to the instrument, barring those not trained from very expensive instruments.
· If the instruments use, service, or commodity is chargeable, verifying user's financial accounts and status before the instance saves time attempting to recover costs later.
· There must be a lock-down mechanism so users cannot use the instrument when it is taken out of service for any reason.
· User fees tied to reservations must be cancelled when instrument is not in service.
· Automated billing, rather than paper log sheets, saves staff time and ensures accuracy.
· Managers need to manually change schedule and billing records on occasion.
|
Software |
FOM Networks |
Calendar for Web |
Calcium/iCal |
Schedulebook |
AppointmentQuest |
|
Website |
|||||
|
Program language |
Java |
Perl/CGI |
Perl/CGI |
ColdFusion |
Java |
|
Portability |
Any browser |
Any browser |
Any browser |
Any browser |
Any browser |
|
Multiple calendars |
Unlimited |
Pay per calendar |
Pay per calendar |
Pay per calendar |
Pay per Calendar |
|
Views/formats |
Day/Week/Month |
Day/wk/mo/yr |
Day/wk/mo/yr |
Day/mo |
Week |
|
Mass email list |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Calendar increments |
Pre-defined list |
User input |
Pre-defined list |
User input |
|
|
User levels & controls |
SysAdmin/Admin/ Manager/User |
Creator/attendee |
Creator/attendee |
7 levels |
Staff/user |
|
Recurring events |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Booking time limit |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Export calendar |
Outlook /Google |
No |
Outlook |
No |
Outlook |
|
Hardware access control |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Double booking |
Customizable |
Always allow |
Always allow |
Configurable |
Always allow |
|
Acct # validation |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Disable calendar with equip down |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Charge per sample or per project |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Safety Cert tracking |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Billing reports |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Collab. tracking |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Usage reports |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Hosted online svc |
Free/unlimited |
$179/yr/calendar |
$50/yr/calendar |
$269/yr/calendar |
$300/mo/calendar |
|
Trial period |
60 days |
30 days |
no |
30 days |
30 days |
|
Customized server |
Quote (4 types - free to site license) |
$150/calendar $1200 for 50 |
$195/calendar; $1995 for 50 ; |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Software |
FOM Networks |
ResourceScheduler |
Google Cal |
phpScheduleIt |
Faces |
Coral* |
|
Website |
||||||
|
Program language |
Java |
Java |
Google App |
PHP5 |
PHP4/Java |
Java |
|
Portability |
Any browser |
Client JRE |
Any browser |
Any browser |
Client JRE |
Client JRE |
|
Multiple calendars |
Unlimited |
Yes |
No |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
|
Views/formats |
Day/Week/Month |
Day/wk/mo |
Day/wk/mo |
Day/wk/mo |
Week |
Day/Week |
|
Mass email list |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Calendar increments |
Pre-defined list |
User input |
User input |
User input |
User input |
Pre-defined list |
|
User levels & controls |
SysAdmin/Admin/ Manager/User |
Manager/user |
Creator/attendee |
Staff/user |
Manager/user |
Coral/Staff/ admin/user |
|
Recurring events |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Booking time limit |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Export calendar |
Outlook /Google |
Outlook |
No |
XML |
No |
No |
|
Hardware access control |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Double booking |
Customizable |
No |
Always allowed |
No |
No |
No |
|
Acct # validation |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Disable calendar with equip down |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Charge per sample or per project |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Safety Cert tracking |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Billing reports |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Collab. tracking |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Usage reports |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
|
Hosted online svc |
Free/unlimited |
Quote |
Free |
Free |
Free |
N/A |
|
Trial period |
60 days |
30 days |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Customized server |
Quote (4 types - free to site license) |
Quote |
N/A |
Free |
N/A |
N/A |
Acknowledgements:
* Thanks to John Shott at Standford providing information on Coral system.